Strongly electron-deficient (n-type) main-chain π-conjugated polymers are commonly prepared via well-established step-growth polycondensation protocols which enable limited control over polymerization. Here we demonstrate that activated Zn and electron-deficient brominated thiophene-naphthalene diimide oligomers form anion-radical complexes instead of conventional Zn-organic derivatives. These highly unusual zinc complexes undergo Ni-catalyzed chain-growth polymerization leading to n-type conjugated polymers with controlled molecular weight, relatively narrow polydispersities, and specific end-functions.

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The crystalline, spinless π dimer (1 ⋅PF ) was obtained by the oxidation of bipyrrole 1 with ferrocenium hexafluorophosphate. The diamagnetic species generated electrochemically in solution was identified as the σ dimer by NMR spectroscopy.

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Poly(dithienothiophene)s (PDTTs), low band-gap conjugated polymers with polythiophene-like chain where an aromatic thienothiophene moiety is fused to each thiophene ring, were studied using Raman spectroscopy, photoinduced infrared absorption, as well as attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) and electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroelectrochemistry. The spectroelectrochemical studies were performed in situ during p-and n-doping (electrochemical oxidation and reduction, respectively). Raman lines of the pristine polymers are compared to infrared active vibration (IRAV) bands due to the charge carriers injected by the electrochemical doping processes or by illumination. The different π-electron distribution along the polythiophene-like chain, which determines the different band-gap sizes, also account for the different lattice relaxations and vibrational behaviors shown by these polymers. By means of in situ ESR spectroscopy, the formation of paramagnetic positive and negative charge carriers with unusually high g-factors could be proved.

The diethyl ester of o-phenylenebis(oxamic acid) (opbaH2Et2) was treated with an excess of RNH2 in MeOH to cause the exclusive formation of the respective o-phenylenebis(N(R)-oxamides) (opboH4R2, R = Me , Et , (n)Pr ) in good yields. Treatment of with half an equivalent of [Cu2(AcO)4(H2O)2] or one equivalent of [Ni(AcO)2(H2O)4] followed by the addition of four equivalents of [(n)Bu4N]OH resulted in the formation of mononuclear bis(oxamidato) type complexes [(n)Bu4N]2[M(opboR2)] (M = Ni, R = Me , Et , (n)Pr ; M = Cu, R = Me , Et , (n)Pr ). By addition of two equivalents of [Cu(pmdta)(NO3)2] to MeCN solutions of , novel trinuclear complexes [Cu3(opboR2)(L)2](NO3)2 (L = pmdta, R = Me , Et , (n)Pr ) could be obtained. Compounds have been characterized by elemental analysis and NMR/IR spectroscopy. Furthermore, the solid state structures of and have been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies. By controlled cocrystallization, diamagnetically diluted and (1%) in the host lattice of and (99%) (@ and @), respectively, in the form of single crystals have been made available, allowing single crystal ESR studies to extract all components of the g-factor and the tensors of onsite (Cu)A and transferred (N)A hyperfine (HF) interaction. From these studies, the spin density distribution of the [Cu(opboEt2)](2-) and [Cu(opbo(n)Pr2)](2-) complex fragments of and , respectively, could be determined. Additionally, as a single crystal ENDOR measurement of @ revealed the individual HF tensors of the N donor atoms to be unequal, individual estimates of the spin densities on each N donor atom were made. The magnetic properties of were studied by susceptibility measurements versus temperature to give J values varying from -96 cm(-1) () over -104 cm(-1) () to -132 cm(-1) (). These three trinuclear Cu(II)-containing bis(oxamidato) type complexes exhibit J values which are comparable to and slightly larger in magnitude than those of related bis(oxamato) type complexes. In a summarizing discussion involving experimentally obtained ESR results (spin density distribution) of and , the geometries of the terminal [Cu(pmdta)](2+) fragments of determined by crystallographic studies, together with accompanying quantum chemical calculations, an approach is derived to explain these phenomena and to conclude if the spin density distribution of mononuclear bis(oxamato)/bis(oxamidato) type complexes could be a measure of the J couplings of corresponding trinuclear complexes.

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Electrochemistry-mediated voltage control of magnetization close to ON/OFF switching is realized in electrodeposited oxide/metal nanoislands.